It [scil. δέ] is also called transitional, for everyone uses it when transitioning from person to person or from matter to matter.

The scholiast’s view of this discourse marker is in surprising agreement with notions of its function in accordance with pragmatic linguistics, whether it be termed a “shift” (Randall Buth), a “low- to mid-level discontinuity” (Stephanie Black), or a “distinct point” (Stephen Levinsohn). The claim that δέ is adversitive (though not always) derives from the fact that most transitions in discourse involve some sort of contrast.